Leaving the house or studio with the collective mass that we call our gear can be a difficult task sometimes, especially leaving for a longer sabbatical. The main concern usually falls on transporting the cameras and lenses, but making room for the support system of cables, chargers, and adapters can put a damper on holiday travels when space is at a premium. Whether it is down the street or across oceans, here are a few powerful accessories to make traveling with your gear easier.
[REWIND: MEMORY CARD SPEED TEST | REAL SPEED VS. ADVERTISED SPEED OF SD CARDS]
Power Adapters
An outlet connector is just plastic and metal, but provides the much need juice to power our 21st Century life. Here in the States, our power is 120 volts, but in other parts of the World, their power is centered around 220-240 volts.
If you check the power adapter for the laptop or mobile device that you are probably reading this article on it should say somewhere “100-240V 50-60Hz”. Most modern electronics can be used in different countries without a converter; they just require an adapter for the proper plug.
There are many cheap adapters that will allow you to use your devices overseas, but some offer better protection than other. The DuaFire Power Adapter is an All-in-one device that has a built-in fuse to protect your valuable electronics from power surges.
Battery Charger
Some cameras like the Sony A7rII, the Fuji X100F, or the Panasonic GX85 can charge the battery within the camera, saving the space of bringing bulky charger. For photographers whose cameras do not have this tech, RAVPower produced a small, lightweight dual charger travel charger. Available in popular flavors like, Canon LP E6 or Nikon EN-EL15, the RAVPower charger can keep your DSLRs juiced up with nothing more than a USB cord. I have been using the Nikon version for months without any issues.
Power Strip
If you have had a significant layover at an airport, you know power outlets are at a premium. Power strips can be a must-have on any trip. When traveling light, big setups from Power Squid can be a bit too much. A solid muti-outlet plug is the PowerCube from allocacoc. For domestic travel, it works great. Unfortunately, it is 110v only. For foreign travel, the AUKEY Power Strip is a good option.
Back Up Solution
The dilemma for whether to bring a laptop, rigging up a rudimentary system of hard drives and flash drives; backing up in the field has always been a plight for travel photographers. Recently we reviewed the Gnarbox which aimed to fix the issue of backing up on the go, but its performance left a lot to be desired. RAVPower has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Drive) device that has been a little secret among savvy travel photographers.
The RAVPower FileHub Plus is essentially a small device is a portable router. It has a built-in SD card reader, Ethernet port, WiFi, and 6000mAh battery. The Ethernet port comes in handy for hotels that have free wired internet but weak WiFi. The integrated USB port allows for plugging in a small drive, like the Samsung T3, where you can back up photos and videos easily and efficiently.
Conclusion
We can take for granted the rats nest of cables and chargers that reside in our home or office. Some may have a more elegant solution for powering their devices, but most of the time it isn’t designed for mobile use. Powering our electronics is mostly an afterthought, more of an inconvenience of our modern age. Taking little space in a camera bag or carry-on, the devices above can keep you shooting all day.
Get Connected!